(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a container having a tubular body with closed opposite ends and a side opening through the body to its interior volume. A collar is mounted to the body for sliding movement between a pair of abutments also secured to the body. The sliding movement of the collar adjustably opens the body side opening for dispensing the contents of the container interior volume.
(2) Description of the Related Art
Various different types of containers are known in the prior art that are specifically designed to dispense the contents of the container by shaking the container. Examples of these types of prior art containers include containers employed in dispensing spices and other food condiments, and containers employed in dispensing cleansers such as kitchen and bathroom cleansers. Containers of this type generally have a tubular configuration with a closure member at one end of the tube.
Various types of closures members are employed with dispensing containers. Some prior art closure members provide the feature of adjusting the rate at which the contents of the container are dispensed from the container. These prior art closure members include rotatable closure members mounted at one end of the tubular container. The closure member is rotated in opposite directions to selectively open and close a dispensing opening of the container, and for adjusting the degree or size of the dispensing opening. The rotatable type of closure member is typically constructed of a plastic material and is attached to one end of the tubular container in a manner that enables the closure member to rotate relative to the container. The rotating closure member and its assembly to the tubular container often represent a substantial portion of the overall production costs of the container.
A more economical closure member used with dispensing containers is the type often used with kitchen and bathroom cleanser dispensing containers. These closure members are often comprised of an adhesive patch adhered over a plurality of openings at one end of the tubular container. The patch is pulled back to expose a desired number of the openings in the container end, and thereby adjust the dispensing rate of the contents of the container. To close the dispensing openings, the patch is again adhered to the area of the container end from which it had been peeled back. Although this form of closure member is less expensive to manufacture than the rotatable type of closure member, it is inconvenient to use because the contents of the container shaken through the dispensing openings often adhere to the adhesive backing of the peeled back patch.